Lessons From the Kissing Booth

I grew up on the Gulf coast of Florida, where hurricanes are a joking matter. Hurricanes that come up that way usually pass by most of Florida and hit further up in the curve. As a result, we mostly just got the rain and some of the winds. This isn't to say that either of those were negligable. Those were usually flooding rains and pretty damaging winds--we'd often have to leave our trailer and move inland. I have one very vivid memory of hiding under a pool table during one such storm, the neon beer sign above it flickering as the winds tossed the powerlines around. I remember uprooted trees and having to swim home.

Anyway, this is just to say that aside from my recently relocated father, stepmother, and brothers, nearly every single member of my family lives half an hour away from where Charley's center made landfall. All of the important ones do. And no one is answering their phones.